StarNews: Prosecutors struggle to respond to death appeals

“Based on the claims, it’s real early in the process to tell how that’s going to be. I envision a massive amount of work that … takes away from the normal day-to-day work of these victims’ assistants and support staff people, and you still have to continue to serve the people that are there.”

Researchers also found that the makeup of juries also played a role in capital cases, and black jurors in District 13 were struck at 2.7 times the rate of white jurors – a higher rate than the state average.

…additionally, [Rex] Gore, who has been DA for 20 years, said “sometimes it’s very hard to get minorities who can consider the imposition of capital punishment. It’s hard to sometimes get a large percentage who can consider capital punishment.”

If a person, black or white, can’t consider imposing a death sentence – or for that matter – life in prison, they can be stricken from the jury for cause, he said.

But Gore said his office strives to get as fair and impartial a jury as possible – “as long as they’re able to at least consider the sentence of death. Practical experience shows not everybody can do that.”